


Moment By Moment

by Cobrilee



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-03 20:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1755915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cobrilee/pseuds/Cobrilee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set post 2.23, "Unthinkable". One sentence breaks through Oliver's walls. It shouldn't surprise him that Slade is the one who speaks it. A series of oneshots taking Oliver and Felicity on a journey that starts with an epiphany.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hardest Part

He thought the hardest part would be telling her he loved her, knowing that she wouldn’t know, not right away, that it was part of his plan. He thought the hardest part would be seeing her at Slade’s mercy, in danger because he placed her there after swearing he would always protect her.

He didn’t know the hardest part would be hearing Slade’s voice over the phone, telling him that his plan had worked. He’d fooled Slade into taking her, his secret weapon who would be Slade’s undoing. He didn’t know how hard it would be to hear Slade sneering at him. “She is quite lovely… your Felicity.”

His Felicity. Yes. Of course she was. Was there ever any doubt? He tried to force it down into his subconscious, but just like the rest of his demons, that tormenting knowledge wouldn’t quite rest. He refused to allow himself to think about how he wasn’t just playing a part when he made his confession, refused to think about the look in her eyes, that flash of hope quickly dimmed by understanding. He refused.

And then Slade Wilson spoke, and realization and acknowledgment bloomed in his brain and his heart with a fury. It was bright and hard and crystal-clear, and it would not be denied. He went stone-still as the words landed like poison arrows, a thousand tiny darts pricking at his skin until the pain seeped in and spread and consumed him. He hadn’t known how hard this part would be. She was in danger because he knew she was the only one who could save them all, and he’d put her in the role of hero, of savior. He’d put Starling City above her, and although he knew she would have been the first to volunteer for the job if he’d asked it of her, the fact was he hadn’t asked. He’d jeopardized her life before he was even willing to be honest with himself about what it all meant.

Suddenly, it wasn’t hard anymore. He would do what he had to do because she believed in him, and he’d trust Felicity to do what she had to do because he believed in her. They would come through this night of pure hell, they would survive, and they would rebuild. Starling. The Arrow Cave. Queen Consolidated.

And maybe they’d build something new, a future together, as well.

Those thoughts were what fueled him as he raced to the showdown that was too long in coming. He would not fail her. He would not fail his city. Not this time. 

He was silent as he cautiously made his way through the maze of metal, following the faint sound of Slade’s voice. He steeled himself for what he would see when Slade and Felicity finally came into view. He knew it would be a sword, it always was with Slade. 

Preparing didn’t help. His heart seized when he saw the blade against her neck and he forced his mind to go blank. He couldn’t think about that. He couldn’t be distracted by his fear and the panic that wanted to burst through and overwhelm him. So he spoke, and he kept his voice level and steady. His gaze narrowed in on Slade’s face, sparing only the briefest of flickers to Felicity’s to reassure himself that she was ready. In those fractions of a second he saw her terror, her resolve, her calm, her unwavering faith. She could do this, and so could he.

When he spoke the magic words and she launched into action, he finally understood what drove people to hyperbole. He felt as if his heart had literally leapt into his throat, and he couldn’t breathe until she was out of the reach of both Slade and his weapon. He attacked then, his mind free of his concern for her safety. The clarity calmed him and energized him at the same time. In his mind he was smiling grimly and his need to put a stop to Slade once and for all, to make sure he never laid a hand on Felicity ever again, drove him to dominate his enemy. Slade had no chance against this Oliver, the Arrow he’d created.

When it was all over, when Slade was subdued and Waller had called off the drone, only then did he allow himself to breathe. His posture relaxed, his face lost the tautness he’d held throughout the whole ordeal. He closed his eyes, and he reached for her. She went into his arms like a homing pigeon and he wrapped himself around her, reveling in the fact that they were both in one piece and not much worse for the wear. Neither spoke. It wasn’t necessary. Somewhere along the way they’d slipped into the ability to communicate without words, one of the primary reasons he knew she’d grasp his plan the moment he pressed the cure into her hand. He was never more grateful for that ability than tonight. He breathed deeply, shutting out everything but the feel of her in his arms and the rise and fall of her torso underneath his hands. It was over, and she was safe. Nothing else mattered in this moment.

Regretfully, he broke away from her and gave her a tender smile; she gave him a tremulous one in return. He took her hand in his and squeezed gently before turning to Laurel and Sara to make sure they had come through relatively unscathed as well. The moment was broken, it was time to move on. He was a patient man, though. He knew there would be other moments, and he was content to wait for them.


	2. The Way Home

The first part of the flight from Hong Kong had been quiet and peaceful, and Oliver was grateful. It was just the three of them on a luxurious A.R.G.U.S. jet, the way he wanted it, and for the first two hours none of them spoke. Diggle was snoring lightly and Felicity was playing on her tablet while he watched her from beneath lowered eyelashes. He’d shaken his head in amusement when he realized that not even an epic battle and a night of fearing her death was at hand was enough to distract her from her beloved tablet. As the flight wore on though, he could see her eyes starting to droop, until the tablet slid from her fingers into the seat beside her and her body slumped to the side. Her face was turned to the window and the light gently kissed her skin. His stomach felt hollow and his chest ached a little, desperately wanting to have her curled up against him as she slept, to be able to have his arms around her and feel her heartbeat and the rise and fall of her chest, to reassure himself that she was not only alive but unharmed. He remained in his seat, choosing instead to watch her sleep peacefully.

“You know you’re an idiot, right?” Diggle asked, his voice quiet in order to avoid disturbing her. 

Oliver didn’t acknowledge his friend until he slid into the seat beside him. He sighed. “Yes.”

“So are you going to tell me why you were such a damn fool that you deliberately put our best friend, our partner, in danger?” The anger in his voice was only thinly veiled, and Oliver braced himself for a verbal lashing. “You’ve been promising me ever since you brought her into this life that we would protect her. We would never let her get hurt. Instead, you hung a raw steak around her neck and sicced the lion on her.”

Oliver winced at Digg’s graphic description, knowing he couldn’t refute what was the absolute truth. “It was the only way,” he said tiredly. “I couldn’t get close enough to Slade to cure him or kill him. It had to be someone he wouldn’t see coming. Felicity was the only one who could do it.”

Digg growled, but refrained from yelling. “I don’t disagree. But why in the hell would you spring that on her without warning? You had to know it would break her heart when she realized you didn’t mean what you said.” 

Oliver recognized they’d finally hit upon the real reason for Diggle’s anger and he chose to be honest for once. They both deserved that much from him. “I did mean it, John.”

Digg glared at him. “No shit, Oliver. I know you meant it. Sara knows. Roy knows. The only one who doesn’t know is Felicity. So even though you were telling the truth, she thinks it was all a lie and you were perfectly fine with hurting her to stop Slade.”

Oliver returned the glare. “I didn’t have a choice, Diggle!” he hissed. “It killed me to see the look in her eyes when I slipped that cure into her hand and she understood I was just playing a part for Slade’s benefit. I hated myself every second from the moment I thought of the plan until, well, now. But it was the only choice I could have made.”

“You could have asked her! You could have prepared her to hear your ‘fake’ confession so it didn’t devastate her!”

“No, I couldn’t!” Oliver burst out furiously. His eyes cut over to the sleeping blonde and was relieved his angry voice hadn’t roused her. “I could handle being the asshole, Digg. I could deal with being the cold-hearted bastard who put her life in jeopardy to stop Slade. I could accept everyone’s disbelief and recriminations. But I couldn’t put that on her! I couldn’t ask her to be willing to give her life for the mission!”

Digg stared at him. “She would have said yes in a heartbeat and you know it.”

“I know!” Oliver gritted out. His eyes were flashing, whether from anger or misery Digg couldn’t tell. “That’s the point! She wouldn’t have hesitated before putting her life in my hands, and that is a responsibility I don’t deserve!”

“She trusts you. We both do. She would have known that if anyone would give his life to keep her safe from Slade, it would be you. Why can’t you trust her?”

Oliver closed his eyes and laid his head back on the seat. “I do trust her, Digg. More than anyone. That’s why I did what I did.”

Digg sighed. “Oliver, I will never understand why you keep holding back from her. A blind man could see that you love her. You were the only two who didn’t know, and now that you’ve finally admitted it to yourself, why don’t you just put the both of you out of your misery?”

Oliver turned to him, his eyes full of anguish. “I can’t,” he whispered. “Every person I’ve ever loved has become a target for someone wanting to hurt me, or the Arrow. If I admitted to her for real that I love her, if I let her into my life, I’d essentially be putting a bullseye on her back and handing my enemies a weapon. She’d have Oliver Queen’s enemies and the Arrow’s enemies gunning for her. I can’t risk that. I can’t ever lose her. It would destroy me.”

“Newsflash, Oliver. She’s already in your life. You two have become so much a part of each other sometimes it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. You haven’t kept that a secret from anyone. And in case you haven’t noticed, your enemies have already figured it out, and have already begun using her against you.” Digg expelled a frustrated breath. “You’re like that proverbial kid who closes the barn door after the horse has already bolted. You can’t keep her safe by shutting her out. The best way to keep her safe is to let her in, to keep her with you. Stop being so damn dense and quit punishing both of you over something you can’t control.” With that said, he pushed up and went back to his previous seat. 

Oliver sat silently, continuing to watch Felicity, who was unaware of the storm of emotions she’d unleashed in the two men. He fought with himself for five solid minutes before he finally stood up and crossed the plane to sink down in the seat beside her. Instinctively she turned and curled into his side, just as he’d wanted her to do from the moment she first fell asleep. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, and he felt the knots of tension in his chest begin to loosen and slide apart. This one woman had the power to twist him up and then unwind him, to put him at peace, the way no one else ever could. He was afraid to admit just how much power she had over him.

“Oliver?” 

He cast his eyes downward to see her peering up at him sleepily. “Yes?”

“It’s okay. I forgive you for not asking me. I know why you didn’t, and I should be mad, but I can’t be. You had to make decisions no one should ever have to make in their whole lives, and you couldn’t just think about me and how I would feel. You had to do what was right for everyone in Starling. So don’t hate yourself for doing what you had to do, okay?”

Oliver sat there, stunned, as she closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. His free hand sought hers and she slid her fingers between his, clutching him tightly as she drifted back to sleep.


	3. The Art of Subtlety

The day Felicity discovered Oliver was squatting in his old mansion, she chewed his ass so hard he wasn’t sure he had any left.

It had been two weeks after getting home from Lian Yu. When Felicity and Diggle asked where he was staying, Oliver had lied and told them he’d purchased an apartment held under a separate account that couldn’t be traced back to QC, just in case of emergency. They believed him because they had no reason not to. Oliver had been too embarrassed to admit he had nowhere to go, and refused to impose on his friends for a place to crash. He knew, logically, that neither would have turned him away, but he was too proud to ask. So he took a sleeping bag back to the mansion and slept on the floor of his old room. 

Felicity had suspected for the last week that Oliver was lying about where he was staying. He moved stiffly, he always seemed exhausted, and he avoided leaving the new foundry at the same time as either her or Digg. She knew wherever he was going, it wasn’t to someplace with a bed where he could actually get some rest, and it wasn’t someplace he wanted them to know about. One night she waited until she sensed he wanted to leave, then waved her hand and bid him a good night. She went outside and sat in her car, which she’d parked a block over, and waited for him to head out on his bike. She followed him home, making sure to stay far enough back that he didn’t suspect he was being followed. Luckily his exhaustion kept him from being alert enough to notice her, which concerned her as well. The closer they got to the mansion the more horrified she was that her suspicions were panning out to be even worse than she had imagined.

After confronting him and pointing an accusing finger at the offending sleeping bag, she read him the riot act and demanded that he come back to her apartment. Oliver had protested, saying he didn’t want to invade her space, but she gave him her best death glare and he surrendered, much to his own surprise. He followed her home and she pointed him in the direction of the spare bedroom, gave him an extra blanket, and went to her room without another word, slamming the door so hard that the painting in his room fell off the wall. Oliver winced, knowing his pride and stubbornness had offended her. The thought that one of her best friends preferred sleeping on a hard floor in an empty house to asking for her help truly hurt her feelings. What she didn’t understand was that he couldn’t ask her for anything. Not after what he’d manipulated her into doing, and how he’d done it. He’d used up his quota of, “Ask Felicity” for a lifetime.

Felicity gave him the cold shoulder for the next two days. He had a place to sleep, food to eat, a bathroom with running water and a shower, and she figured that was all she owed him after he’d been so pig-headed. Gradually, though, she softened toward him. She reluctantly saw things from his point of view and admitted if she was in his place she probably would have done the same thing.

The third day after Oliver moved in, for lack of a better term, she was sitting on the couch watching the original Batman when he let himself in the front door. He looked at her warily and she rolled her eyes, patting the couch cushion next to her. Raising an eyebrow, he crossed the room and sat down beside her. 

“Batman?”

She narrowed her eyes as she paused the movie. “If you say anything derogatory, I’m going to resume not speaking to you.”

He held his hands up in a “don’t shoot” gesture, a small smile playing on his lips. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

She settled back into the couch and dipped her hand into the bowl of popcorn perched in her lap. “Keaton’s Batman is the best one. No one thought he could pull it off because he wasn’t the macho guy, the ripped Hollywood heartthrob everyone fawned over. No one thought he could be the suave badass. He proved them all wrong.”

Oliver gave her an appraising look. “Didn’t think you’d be a fan of Keaton’s version.”

Felicity made a face. “What, was I supposed to be impressed with Kilmer? Or worse, Clooney?”

He laughed. “I would have thought you’d like Bale’s series the best.”

She shook her head. “Bale brings a new twist to the role, yes, but Keaton’s version was much darker emotionally, and not just in a broody, ‘I’m so tortured, but all I need is the love of a good woman’ way. His was by the far the most impressive performance because it was so subtle and nuanced. Of course, it helped that Burton was directing and it wasn’t necessarily meant to be an action flick.”

Oliver chuckled, marveling at how much he was enjoying the ordinariness of a conversation about movies. After the previous months, he almost forgot what it was like not living every day under the threat of a terrorist act. He reached over to snag a handful of Felicity’s popcorn and she smacked his hand. “Get your own.”

He gave her his best, most winsome smile, and she rolled her eyes again. “Jeez, Queen. It’s popcorn, not a charity donation.” She relented, tossing a kernel at him with a mischievous grin. He opened his mouth and ducked his head to catch it, chewing and swallowing before giving her a triumphant grin of his own.

Felicity shook her head in exasperation before picking up the remote and turning the movie back on. They’d been sitting in silence for several minutes, absorbed in the movie, when she felt Oliver’s hand cover hers where it rested on the couch between them. She turned her palm up and his fingers laced between hers as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She felt her stomach flip but kept her eyes on the TV, determined not to make a big deal about it. When the final credits rolled, Oliver was asleep and still holding her hand. 

She sighed. Oliver Queen was going to be the death of her, but from what she could tell it was the best sleep he’d gotten since before they knew Slade was back. She wouldn’t begrudge him a minute of it, no matter what the cost was to her own heart. She really needed to get up and go to the bathroom, though, so she tried to gently extricate her hand from his without waking him up.

Oliver roused slightly as he felt her attempting to slide her fingers away and he clenched tighter, not wanting to miss the feel of her hand in his. “Just a few more minutes,” he muttered sleepily, and Felicity’s heart stuttered. How could she say no to that?

“Fine, but if I wet the couch, you have to clean it,” she whispered back. Oliver let out a snort of muffled laughter and the sound warmed her to the core. She couldn’t remember the last time Oliver had truly laughed, and she decided then and there she would make it her mission to bring laughter back to his life. 

Sinking back into the couch, she turned the TV off and leaned her head on his shoulder. The quiet surrounding them was peaceful and with Oliver’s hand warm against hers, she began to feel drowsy. It reminded her of the flight home from Hong Kong, only then he’d held her while she slept. Deciding that it was a pattern of behavior she could definitely get behind continuing, she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.


	4. The Awakening

A month later they were once again curled up together on her couch watching some random movie-he wasn’t sure which one because he wasn’t really watching-her head on his chest and his arm across her shoulders, his fingers idly playing with the hair that was trailing over her arm, when the call came in. Her phone lit up on the coffee table and began buzzing, dancing all over the worn surface. She frowned and reached over to end the call, but then her eyes widened and she grabbed for the phone, jumping off the couch and hurrying back to her room. Oliver watched her go, his eyes showing his concern.

It didn’t take long for her to come back, her eyes shining. “He’s awake!” she said joyfully, and Oliver looked at her in confusion. “Barry,” she clarified as she headed for the coat closet, grabbing her jacket and slipping on a pair of shoes. “Cisco said he came out of his coma a few hours ago. They had to do a bunch of tests and Cisco wanted to make sure that everything was okay before he called me. He asked for me. Barry, I mean. Not Cisco, obviously, because he knew how to get in touch with me when he needed me. ‘He’ meaning Cisco. Pronouns are so confusing when you have more than one person you’re using the same pronoun for. There should be pronouns for multiple people, like, ‘He One’ and ‘He Two’.”

“Felicity,” he interrupted her, his fake smile in place to cover the uncomfortable sensation in his gut. She looked at him questioningly. “Go.” She nodded, sliding her purse and keys off the kitchen counter. 

“Make yourself at home. I mean, you are home. But don’t feel weird about being here when I’m not. Mi casa es su casa. Wait, did you take Spanish? I mean, I know you took Spanish but you flunked out of it, but maybe you learned Spanish on the island? I don’t even know what language they speak there. Now that I think about it it’s probably Chinese because it’s close to China. I wonder what dialect they use. Mandarin?”

“Felicity!”

She paused and did a quick 1-2-3 while breathing in, then did the same breathing out. “I’m nervous, Oliver. I don’t even know what I’m going to find when I get there. He’s okay physically, as far as Cisco knows, but he was struck by lightning. What if he’s not the same person? What if he’s not the friend I remember?”

Oliver pulled her in for a quick hug. “It’s going to be okay, Felicity,” he promised her. “If he’s changed, your friendship will adapt.”

She gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Oliver.” She opened the door and paused, turning back with her hand still on the knob. “I don’t know how long I’ll be. Don’t wait up for me, okay?”

He ignored the twisting in his stomach at her words and shook his head. “I can’t promise anything. You know I don’t sleep much anyway, and it’ll be even harder with you not here.” 

Her eyes softened and his breath caught at the emotions simmering under the surface. “Then I’ll try to be back as soon as I can so you can get some sleep tonight.”

He wanted to be generous and tell her, ‘Take your time, don’t worry about me,’ but he was selfish. He’d had her pretty much all to himself for the last month and he didn’t want to share her with anyone, especially not Barry. Instead, he simply told her, “Be safe.”

Felicity nodded, and then she was gone.

Oliver blew out a breath as he looked around. He’d never been left alone in her apartment before. What the hell was he going to do to pass the time until she returned to him?

It was almost one in the morning when Felicity finally got back, opening the door quietly and tiptoeing in just in case he’d been wrong and had managed to fall asleep. She relaxed when she heard the shower running, shaking her head bemusedly. She’d bet anything it wasn’t the first shower he’d taken to occupy his time since she’d left, because she couldn’t imagine him just settling in on the couch and finishing up the movie she was pretty sure he hadn’t been paying attention to anyway. 

The shower turned off and she sank down on the couch, waiting for him to leave the bathroom so she could tease him about his undoubtedly restless evening. The door swung wide and she opened her mouth to start in on him when he walked out, and her heart stopped.

Obviously not realizing she was home, Oliver had opted not to wrap a towel around himself before crossing the living room to the spare room. Felicity’s throat and mouth went dry as she took in the sight of his muscular form from top to bottom. She’d seen him near-naked plenty of times, but something about the whole, er, package being unwrapped and left for her admiring gaze to devour was intoxicating. Despite the beauty that was his chest and arms, Felicity had seen them so many times that her attention was diverted to his lower half. His legs were sleekly muscled, his calves toned and his thighs hard. Her heart was beating erratically and she blushed like a schoolgirl as her eyes were magnetically drawn to the tops of his thighs, and she swallowed thickly past the desire that had bloomed in what seemed to be pretty much every part of her. 

She knew it wasn’t right to be looking at him when he didn’t know she was there, and she tried to force herself to look away. Thankfully it only took him a few strides to make it to the bedroom, but then he turned his back on her. She peeked over the top of the couch to admire his firm ass, which looked like a sculptor had spent some loving time on it. Felicity had no qualms about admitting that she would like to do the same.

The light in the spare room came on and Felicity quickly scrunched further down into the couch, doing her best to be absolutely silent. She flipped onto her side, facing away from the bathroom, and closed her eyes as Oliver came back into the living room. She heard his intake of breath when he saw her. She felt him lift the blanket from the back of the couch and begin to cover her with it, so she rolled slightly onto her back and looked up at him. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants now and she could see his hair was still glistening with droplets of water. He smiled softly down at her and her heart caught, then eased into a steadier rhythm. 

“I didn’t wake you up, did I?” he asked quietly as he sank onto the couch beside her.

“Not at all,” she reassured him as she pulled herself into a sitting position. He idly lifted her feet and laid her legs across his lap so that he could scoot closer to her. His hand felt heavy and warm on her knee. “I got home and heard you in the shower, so I laid down and closed my eyes for a few while I waited.” She felt a teeny bit guilty over her white lie, but she wasn’t about to admit she’d had her eyes wide open when he left the bathroom.

Oliver nodded absently as he started rubbing her feet, and she nearly groaned out loud. “How’s Barry?” he asked after a moment. He didn’t really want to hear her talk about him, but he knew he needed to ask anyway.

She smiled. “He’s as good as can be expected. He was so happy to see me.”

His hands stilled at her admission. “Of course he was.”

Felicity shook her head. “It’s not like that, Oliver. Iris was there, too. It was obvious to everyone but her that he’s in love with her. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her the whole time she was in the room. Pretty much the only time he looked directly at me was when I first got there, and when she left to give us a few minutes together.” 

Oliver couldn’t believe the younger man’s idiocy. “How he could look at anyone else with you in the room is beyond me,” he murmured, and Felicity froze. 

“I knew, even before the coma, how he felt about her,” she said slowly. “Yeah, there was a little bit of interest on both of our parts, but we both knew it was never going to go anywhere. Neither one of us was really ready to take that step.” What she didn’t say was that they both loved someone else and they each understood that about the other. “We were friends, though, and I’ve missed him.”

After Felicity’s confession, Oliver was a little more willing to be magnanimous where the other man was concerned. “Then I’m even more glad that he’s awake and seems to be doing okay,” he said sincerely.

She nodded, then yawned. She glanced at the clock and her eyes widened when she realized it was almost one-thirty. “We should be in bed!” 

Oliver smothered a laugh and she reddened. “We should,” he agreed, and Felicity swore his voice was a little deeper than it had been a moment ago. He moved her legs gently to the side and stood, reaching for her hand to pull her up off the couch. He tugged her a little more closely to him than was necessary and bent his head to press a kiss to her temple. “Good night, Felicity.”

“Good night, Oliver,” she said faintly. “Sleep well.”

Oliver’s eyes twinkled as he smiled down at her. “I will, now that you’re home.” He squeezed her hand and then dropped it, going to what had become his room and turning off the light.

Felicity inhaled sharply and shook her head, wondering if she would ever understand the man. Deciding that no one would really ever understand Oliver Queen, she headed for her own bedroom and slipped under the covers. It was a long time before she finally fell asleep.


	5. The Dating Game

Diggle watched her as she swiveled back and forth at the computer screens, her fingers flying furiously over the multiple keyboards and stabbing randomly at icons on one monitor or another. On one she was running a search on one of the Queen Consolidated board members, trying to find information she could use to get Oliver reinstated as CEO; on another she was looking for the details on their latest bad guy; on yet a third she was attempting to hack into the mainframe of a Starling City financial investment firm. He knew it was silly, her accomplishments had no reflection on him, but he was proud of her for getting back to her IT roots. Ever since the nightmare with Slade she’d been sought out by multiple companies trying to rebuild, all asking her to make sure their systems were as close to uncompromisable as they could get. Digg knew she was thrilled to be doing work that she found value in, as opposed to scheduling Oliver’s meetings and making sure he actually showed up to them reasonably on time. 

What frustrated him was that she had closed herself off from all human interaction with the exception of Oliver, Roy, and himself. It wasn’t healthy, and he worried about her. He knew about her living situation with Oliver and he also knew Oliver was playing with her emotions, albeit unknowingly. Oliver was so damn dense, as Diggle had called him on, that he probably had no idea that he was toying with her so unforgivingly. He saw it as keeping her safe by refusing to let her get too close, while Digg saw it as keeping her wrapped around his little finger while he had the freedom to either reel her in or keep her at arms’ length as he saw fit. Digg respected Oliver, knew he was a good man with a good heart, but at the moment he wanted to kick the younger man in the teeth or the ass, whichever, preferably both. 

Knowing he really had no right to interfere, Digg decided it was high time he did so anyway. Everyone looked out for Oliver. Now it was Felicity’s turn. Since Oliver couldn’t seem to either be honest or let her go, Digg knew it was up to him to try to make her see that she was setting herself up for a very lonely, co-dependent future if she didn’t push Oliver to man up.

He wandered into her line of sight, waiting until she glanced up at him to speak. “Felicity, it’s been almost two months since Oliver moved in with you and you haven’t spent time with a single person who isn’t part of Team Arrow since then. You need a life, girl!”

Felicity smiled fondly at him as her fingers continued to fly over the keyboard with lightning speed. “It’s fine, Digg,” she assured him. “I’m happy doing what I’m doing. It works for me, and keeps me free for Team Arrow business as well as helping Oliver get QC back.”

Digg crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at her. “Seems to me you’re spending all your time with Oliver, working for Oliver, taking care of Oliver, playing house with Oliver. You need someone in your life who isn’t Oliver.”

She gave him a bright grin. “I do. I have you and Roy.”

Digg huffed in annoyance. “You know what I mean, Felicity.”

Felicity gave him a measured look. “You want me to go out on a date.” It wasn’t a question, because she did know what he meant. She just wasn’t sure she was ready. The wounds from Oliver’s fake admission hadn’t quite healed yet and she didn’t think she could truly act interested in another man.

“Damn right I do. He’s taking advantage of you and you’re letting him.”

The look she gave him went from measured to warning. “I’m not letting him do anything, John. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

Digg wiped a hand over his face as he shook his head in disbelief. “No one doubts that, Felicity. But the longer you let Oliver play at being your boyfriend without actually making any kind of commitment to you, well, the more he’s going to think it’s okay to keep up with the status quo, and nothing’s ever going to change. Right now he’s the very definition of a man who has his cake and is eating it too.”

“Trust me, there’s been no eating,” Felicity remarked dryly. When Digg raised one eyebrow at her, she flushed to the roots of her hair. “So not the way I meant for that to sound.”

“Then it’s not going to hurt anything if you go out to dinner with someone who doesn’t share our night job,” he pointed out reasonably.

Felicity lifted her hands to gesture at their surroundings. “Look around, Digg. I spend my days and my nights in a basement. What man in his right mind would want to spend all his time with me downstairs?” Digg guffawed and she reddened again. “Damn it, John! You know that’s not what I meant!”

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. “It really has been awhile, hasn’t it?”

She tried to glare at him, but gave up and sighed. “Longer than I care to admit. Life has pretty much been wrapped up in Oliver, Team Arrow, defeating Slade, and rebuilding, for, oh, I don’t know, close to a year or so.” 

“All the more reason for you to get out and spend time with someone who might correct that oversight,” he teased, winking at her. Mentally he was shaking with laughter, trying to imagine the look on Oliver’s face if and when Felicity hooked up with someone. He could just see Oliver pitching a fit while stalking around the empty apartment, livid that she wasn’t at home tucked safe in her bed, and he was the one who had to wait for her for once.

Felicity shook her head, unaware of Digg’s gleeful, vengeance-filled musings. “I don’t know,” she said doubtfully. “I don’t want to be that person who leads some perfectly nice, innocent guy on as a way to thumb her nose at the guy who hurt her feelings. I’m better than that, John. Besides, it wouldn’t mean anything to Oliver anyway.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Felicity,” Digg murmured affectionately. She really had no clue, and it would have been adorable if it wasn’t so damn frustrating. “Just go out on the date. Then we’ll see what Oliver does or doesn’t do.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re forgetting the most important thing, Digg. No one has asked. No one even knows I’m alive to ask.”

Digg pulled his phone out. “I still have friends at QC, and one of them was telling me about some black-tie fundraiser dinner he has to go to. He needs a date, so you’re going to fill in.” She opened her mouth to protest and he silenced her with a stern glare. “You’re going to go, spend time in the company of a nice guy who has no ulterior motives and isn’t going to play games with your head, and you’re going to enjoy yourself. There’s no pressure for this to be anything, so just relax and don’t worry about hurting his feelings. And maybe you’ll find that you enjoy getting out of the Cave once in awhile, and meeting people who don’t shoot arrows at bad guys.”

Felicity snapped her mouth closed and gave in. “All right, Digg. I’ll go. But you have to buy my dress.”

He grinned. “Deal.”

And when Jensen came to pick Felicity up two nights later, Digg just happened to be visiting Oliver at home when the doorbell rang. He answered the door, clapping Jensen on the shoulder and inviting him in. 

When Felicity came out of her bedroom she was dressed in a strapless, floor-length, dark gray satin gown. It was ruched through the bodice and waist and had a sweetheart neckline. Intricate beadwork covered the top of the cups and gathered at the center, descending to about hip-level before flaring out into a simple skirt. It was a gorgeous, sophisticated, very sexy dress that was pure Felicity, and Digg hadn’t hesitated in handing over his credit card to purchase it. She was breathtaking with her curly hair pulled back in a loose chignon, several curls framing her face. Her jewelry was simple, a long diamond pendant that nestled right above her cleavage, and diamond drop earrings. 

Digg whistled. “Damn, Felicity. My girl’s all grown up.” She smiled as he gave her a gentle hug, then handed her off to Jensen. Digg grinned to himself when he saw the blatant interest in the other man’s eyes, and he shooed them out the door with an admonishment to have fun but behave themselves.

Turning away from the front door, Digg caught sight of Oliver, who hadn’t spoken a word beyond a terse “hello” when introduced to Jensen. The man’s jaw looked like it was carved from granite, save for the muscle ticking in his right cheek. “Careful there, Oliver, you’re liable to grind your teeth into dust,” Digg said mildly, belying his enjoyment of the situation.

Oliver flicked a stony stare at him. “She doesn’t even know him. Why is she going on a date with him?”

“He told me he needed a date to the dinner, and Felicity needed to get the hell out of that basement and this apartment,” Digg said casually, staring Oliver down as if challenging him to say anything.

Oliver took the bait. “You set her up with him?” he exclaimed angrily. “Diggle, you know how I feel about her! Why would you do this?”

“Because you’re dumber than I thought!” Digg retorted. “She’s wasting herself on you and one day she’s going to realize it. I’m just helping her get there sooner.”

Oliver glared at him incredulously. “I’m going to lose her, and you’re playing games!”

Digg lost his cool. “You’re going to lose her because you’re playing games, Oliver! I’m just looking out for her because someone has to, and it sure as hell isn’t you!” He strode angrily to the front door and thrust it open. “Don’t worry, I’ll see myself out.” He flung one last pointed glare at a suddenly deflated Oliver, then slammed the door behind him. 

Once the door was between them, Digg smiled. He was truly disgusted with his partner’s stupidity, but if he didn’t miss his guess, this stalemate between Oliver and Felicity was about to end. He gave it two weeks, tops, before Oliver broke. “My work here is done,” he chuckled to himself as he walked away, suddenly in a very good mood.


	6. The Night of Reckoning

It was Felicity’s fourth date with Jensen in the past two weeks, and Oliver was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. She always stopped by their new Arrow Cave after her dates, just to check on the computers and make sure he and Digg didn’t need anything before she headed home, but it was close to midnight and they hadn’t heard from her. Digg had left a half hour earlier, telling Oliver to call him if Felicity hadn’t shown up by one am. He tried not to snicker at Oliver’s obvious dismay over the turn of events. Served him right. The man had been an absolute bear ever since Felicity’s first date with Jensen, and Digg knew he was on the verge of snapping. He only wished he could be there when it happened so he could gloat.

It was a few minutes shy of 12:30 when Oliver heard the tell-tale beeping of the keypad. His shoulders slumped in relief when Felicity opened the door and stepped inside, and he saw that she obviously hadn’t arrived straight from Jensen’s bed. Her silky blonde hair was in its naturally curly state and the sides had been pinned back, leaving the curls to flow down her back. She was wearing a dark green halter dress with a swingy, knee-length skirt and a bodice cut more than low enough. He narrowed his eyes in irritation and jealousy, infuriated that she was wearing _his_ color for a date with another man. He watched as she lifted one foot to slip her sky-high gold heel off, then switched feet and did the same with the other. His face was impassive but his anger was growing as she wiggled her toes in relief and padded downstairs, carrying the ice-pick shoes by their heels.

She hadn’t sensed his presence yet, and he was still struggling with what to say so he didn’t alert her that he was there. She moved the mouse until the computer monitors came to life, and she quickly typed in her password. After several minutes, she apparently was satisfied and shut everything down. Turning, she gasped in surprise and her hand flew to her mouth as she caught sight of him sitting silently on the couch. “Oliver!” she fumed. “What are you doing here sitting practically in the dark and not saying anything? I almost had a heart attack!”

“Have a nice night with Jensen?” he asked, his voice low, ignoring her question. 

She narrowed her gaze. “Yes, I did. Not that it matters to you, obviously.”

“I don’t make a habit of asking questions I don’t care about the answers to,” he said sourly.

Felicity stomped her foot, wincing at the impact to her already sore arches. “Oliver Jonas Queen, what in the world has gotten into you?” she asked in frustration. “You’ve been a grumpy pain in the ass for the last two weeks.”

Oliver’s anger swelled. “What’s gotten into _me_?” he asked disbelievingly. “What about you? All of a sudden your boyfriend is more important than being a part of Team Arrow?”

Felicity threw up her hands. “You’ve _got_ to be kidding me. First off, it’s been a handful of dates. Jensen is not my boyfriend, we’re just friends who enjoy each other’s company. Secondly, since when did being part of Team Arrow mean I can’t have a social life? I did have one before I met you guys, you know. Being your Girl Friday isn’t mutually exclusive with having other friends, and being able to go out and enjoy a meal or a movie with someone who isn’t looking over my shoulder or waiting for an ambush.”

Oliver faltered. She was right, and he was expecting too much of her. He wanted her with him all the time, but it wasn’t fair to ask that of her. He just couldn’t stand the idea of her being with anyone else. “You’re right, it’s not. I just miss you.”

She counted to ten before trusting herself to speak. “How can you miss me, Oliver? I’m always here. I’m always with you, here in the lair, or at home, wherever you are, that’s where I am. We’re like freaking Tweedledum and Tweedledee. I can’t believe you’re not sick of me yet.”

“Why would I ever get sick of you?” he asked, truly baffled.

She collapsed on the couch, closing her eyes and laying her head back against the puffy cushion. “Because eventually you move on, Oliver. Someone else catches your attention and you forget I exist.”

Oliver felt like she’d physically struck him. “How can you say that?” He clenched his fist rhythmically, swallowing hard, as he warred within himself about whether to bring up the one topic they’d avoided for almost three months. The pained, weary look in her eyes made the decision for him and he spoke quickly, before he could change his mind. “Didn’t you hear me that day on the jet? Don’t you know how I feel?”

Felicity exploded off the couch, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Of course I heard you, Oliver!” she shouted. “I know how you _said_ you feel, but it seems like _you_ don’t know if you really do!” She stalked toward the stairs and he launched himself after her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. She was so furious she was shaking, and he immediately dropped his hand and backed off. “I heard every word you and Digg said after you told him why you didn’t ask me if I would be willing to be part of your plan, why you made the unilateral decision for me like you always do. I heard you tell him how much you trust me, and how you can’t put a bullseye on my back by being with me, and how losing me would destroy you. I heard every word he told you in response. I heard it all, Oliver. I know. And yet you still haven’t done a damn thing about it!” she yelled.

Oliver’s head was reeling. He’d never seen Felicity so mad at him, not even when he was trying to give up and she was trying to rally him. Or when she caught him sleeping in the mansion. Or… Come to think of it, she’d been mad at him a lot lately. “Felicity…”

“Don’t, Oliver.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “I’ve waited for you for almost three months. I’ve waited for you to figure out what you want and to decide that I’m worth the risk. I’ve waited for you to admit you love me, for real this time. I’ve waited for you to stop being so afraid. I’m starting to realize you actually made your decision a long time ago and the only thing that’s going to happen if I keep waiting for you, is I’ll keep waiting.” She gave him a sorrowful look and started up the stairs.

She was at the door, punching in the code, before he recovered enough to go after her. “Felicity, don’t leave. I know I’ve made mistakes with you, so many mistakes. Give me a chance to fix them before you walk away.”

She heaved a tired sigh. “Don’t you get it, Oliver? I’ve given you more chances than you deserve, and you’ve let every single one of them float right on by. I don’t want to give you any more chances.”

Oliver was really starting to panic. He’d thought he could hold onto her until he sorted out the tangled mess that was his mind. He’d feared losing her to death. He’d never feared that she would leave him of her own accord. He looked at her helplessly and said the only thing he could. “Don’t go, Felicity. Stay with me.”

Felicity snapped. “I have stayed with you for almost two years, Oliver. TWO! YEARS! Two years of watching you go after everyone else. Two years of feeling like your damned emotional yo-yo! Two years of torturing myself while I waited for you to figure out what was right in front of you. I’m done waiting, Oliver!” She stared at him, shaking her head slightly. “It’s time for you to make a decision. Either you want me or you don’t. If you don’t want me, let me go. If you want me, then DO something about it!”

Oliver didn’t think, he just acted. His hands were on either side of her face, pulling her to him before either of them knew what he was doing. He was crushing his lips to hers before she could make sense of the rapid movements. Her brain blanked as he traced his tongue over the seam of her lips, coaxing her to open up to him. When she did, helpless against his erotically persuasive attack, his heart thundered with joy. He angled his head, deepening the kiss as his body pinned her against the door. Her arms came up around his neck without any conscious thought on her part, her fingers tunneling through the hair at his nape. Their tongues crashed together as he lowered his hands, cupping her hips and pulling her tighter against him even as he moved closer, effectively trapping her between him and the door. 

Felicity could feel his desire and she panicked slightly, pushing him away so she could regain some semblance of control. He broke the kiss and gazed solemnly into her eyes. “I would have let Amanda burn Starling to the ground before I said those words to you without meaning them. I love you, Felicity. For real. For now, and for always. Don’t ever leave me. Not because I’m playing with your emotions and manipulating you into being with me, but because you don’t ever _want_ to leave me.”

She bit her lip and fought the tears that came to her eyes. She focused on the intense blue of his as he worriedly waited for her response. “I never have, Oliver. I’ve only been waiting for you to give me a reason to stay.”

Oliver broke out into the kind of smile she hadn’t seen from him in so long she couldn’t even remember when she’d seen it last. “I’m giving you my heart, Felicity. Is that a good enough reason?”

Felicity choked out a half-laugh, half-sob. “It’s the best one.”


	7. The Last First

Oliver was whipping through a set of pull-ups when Diggle walked into the foundry. He smirked in amusement as he watched his friend punish himself for the next several minutes.

“Oliver, man, what are you doing?” Digg called up to him finally. “You’re going to be exhausted by the time you get done!”

“That’s the plan,” he grunted, his eyes staring straight ahead, his face tense. He flipped upside down, hooking his knees over the bar and heading straight into a set of inverted sit-ups.

Digg shook his head. “Don’t you want to save some of that energy for your girl?” he teased, only to choke when Oliver shot him a fulminating look. “Oh, man!” he crowed, erupting into laughter. “You mean to tell me you’re still sleeping in the guest room a whole month later?”

Oliver unhooked his legs from the bar and flipped in mid-air, landing on his feet in a crouch. Straightening, he grabbed a towel and began wiping his face and torso down. “She’s not ready,” he said tersely.

“You two have been dancing this dance for a couple years now. How is she still not ready?”

Oliver considered his words. Digg was his friend, his partner, but so was Felicity. And Felicity was Digg’s friend and partner. He felt uncomfortable with the idea of discussing their sex life, or lack thereof, with Digg. It almost felt like he was betraying her trust. He went with an abbreviated version of the truth. “She just wants to make sure that this isn’t temporary,” he said simply. “I can’t blame her. My track record with relationships is abysmal.”

Digg snorted. “To put it mildly." Oliver narrowed his eyes and Digg put his hands up in a protective gesture. “Okay, okay. Shutting my mouth now. Felicity’s a smart girl, Oliver. Trust her. It’ll be right when she’s ready.”

“I know.”

Digg snagged his phone off the table next to Felicity’s computers, which was his reason for stopping by in the first place. “I’ll leave you to it. Give Felicity my best.”

Oliver watched silently as Digg ascended the stairs, punched in the door code, and left the lair. He blew out a breath, sitting down in Felicity’s chair and swiveling from left to right and back again. His thoughts turned inward, remembering that particular conversation.

“I love you, Oliver. You know I do.”

Oliver smiled softly down at the blonde beauty, his heart beating faster as it struck him that he no longer had to hide himself from her. He’d spent so long fighting his feelings and trying to keep her from getting any hint of them that it felt foreign to be so open and honest with her. He loved being able to do it, to be able to freely tell her he loved her, to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her flush against hi s body and slant his lips over hers, to feel her melt against him unreservedly. He loved all of it. He loved her. He loved knowing she loved him and never hesitated to tell him. “I love you too, Felicity. And I would never push you to do something you don’t want to do.”

She smirked at him. “Wanting isn’t the issue, Oliver. I want you so much that I pretty much think denying us this makes me the craziest woman who ever lived. Which, considering Helena, says something.”

Oliver smothered a laugh. “You’re not crazy, Felicity. You’re cautious.”

Felicity shook her head. “It’s not even that.” He grabbed her hand as she paced in front of him, pulling her down onto the couch, specifically, onto his lap. She gave him a wry grin and he smiled back at her, smoothing an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “This is going to make me sound seriously pathetic, but here goes. You’re it for me, Oliver. No matter what happens with us, there will never be someone else who will be able to take your place in my heart.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” he said lightly, ignoring the twist in his gut at the idea that someday there might be an opening in her life for a boyfriend, a partner. 

She punched his shoulder laughingly. “Calm the ego, boy.” She snuggled into him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, stroking her upper arm. “I’m kind of afraid. I’m afraid the faster we move, the faster the fantasy will end. I’m afraid of this being a wonderful dream that’s going to pop like a soap bubble if I poke it too hard, and so I want to go slow and cherish every moment, and at the same time I know I’m a crazy person because really all I’m doing is denying us both something we really really want, at least I hope you really really want it, but of course you do because you’re a guy and all guys really really want it…” She paused to inhale a much-needed breath. “I just feel like if we take our time, it will mean more when it finally happens. I’m in this for good, Oliver. Which means, this is going to be the last time I’ll ever have a first time. Y’know? And that’s something I’m both looking forward to and trying to savor for as long as possible.”

Oliver was barely breathing by the time Felicity’s ramble was over. He wanted to crush his mouth to hers, to whisper words of love against her lips and in her hair and across her skin, to worship her and make her understand that he was in this for life, and the only thing that would ever pull them apart would be death. Which, unfortunately, could happen at any time with the crazy lives they led, the life he’d consigned himself to and dragged her into with him. He didn’t regret it, though. He couldn’t. As much as he wanted to ensure her safety every day for the rest of her long, long life, he couldn’t life his life, couldn’t do what he did, without her by his side. It had taken him too damn long to see that, and he would never let her go now that he had.

“Felicity, I understand,” he said instead, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I love you, and I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. If that means waiting until you’re ready, it’s not a hardship.”

She beamed up at him. “It’s going to be worth the wait, Oliver,” she promised him. “Just like you were worth the wait for me.”

The phone buzzing in his pocket pulled Oliver from his thoughts. He pulled the phone out and the grin that spread across his face didn’t fail to amaze him. He couldn’t have ever imagined being so happy ever again. He couldn’t have imagined that one single woman would blow into his life and take him by storm, would grab onto his heart and never let it go. He couldn’t have imagined that he’d find her _and_ let her in, even though it had taken a damn long time to do it. Lifting the phone to his ear he murmured, “Hello, Felicity,” in that way he had, the voice he knew would turn her knees to jelly. It was his one and only defense, and he secretly admitted he loved knowing he had that effect on her.

“Are you coming home anytime soon?”

He glanced over at the clock and winced. 11:30. “I’m almost done now. Just have to shower and then I’ll leave. Do you need anything?”

There was a pause. “Just you,” she whispered, and Oliver’s chest tightened at the promise in her words. 

“I’ll see you soon,” he said softly. “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” she returned easily, and he grinned.

After the world’s fastest shower and change, Oliver was heading home on his bike. The word still elicited strange, tight feelings in him when he thought it. Her apartment had truly become home for him. He’d always intended for it to be a temporary thing, but without realizing it, he’d stopped thinking of finding his own place. Once he’d finally made the move she’d been waiting for him to make, it seemed like there was no reason for him to go anywhere. 

He opened the door and strode into the apartment, anxious to see her. When his eyes landed on her familiar face, he smiled warmly. She jumped up from the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Work yourself to the bone?” she teased, her lips brushing his neck so that he felt the words more than heard them.

“Just a regular workout,” he said with a shrug, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her so closely that he felt every breath she took.

Felicity laughed as she pulled back, her arms still locked around him so that the space between them was minimal. “You really think I don’t know what you’re doing?” she asked pointedly, the corner of her mouth lifting in a bemused grin. “You’re trying to burn all that sexual energy and frustration off by pushing your body to its limit.”

He ducked his head sheepishly. He should have known he’d never be able to hide the truth from her. “I wanted to honor your request,” he said quietly. “I don’t want you to feel pressured to do anything before you’re ready, and I knew it would help me to back off if I worked out the physical need.”

She eyed him mischievously. “Did you push yourself past the point of exhaustion tonight?” 

Oliver shook his head. “Digg caught me about halfway through my routine and I couldn’t get back into the rhythm after he left,” he admitted. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

Felicity broke away from his hold and tugged on his hand. “Let’s get ready for bed, then.”

Oliver followed her back to her bedroom, pulling her back into him for a steamy kiss before letting go of her. “Good night, Felicity,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble. He started to walk backward to his room when she cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Where are you going?”

He stopped, looking at her questioningly. “To bed?”

She shook her head. “Wrong room.”

His heart leapt as her meaning became clear. He took the single stride that separated them, catching her face between his hands and bringing it up to meet his lips as they descended quickly. She opened under him like a flower in full bloom, and he lifted her into his arms to carry her to her bed. Laying her down gently, he held her eyes with his. “This is really what you want?”

Felicity nodded, her shining eyes conveying the depth of her love, her need, her desire. “I’m ready, Oliver. I’m ready to stop being afraid of waking up from this dream.”

Oliver’s eyes closed briefly before he opened them again, his searing gaze branding her soul. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity burning in his eyes. “I love you, Felicity Meghan Smoak. For now, and for always.”

The words he’d said to her a month ago thrilled her no less now than they did then. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. “I love you too, Oliver Jonas Queen,” she whispered. “And I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”


	8. The Ties that Bind

Oliver couldn't keep the indulgent grin off of his face as Felicity scurried around their apartment, trying to remember everything they needed. "Do I have something blue?" she muttered, rifling through one of the desk drawers. She slammed the drawer shut, biting her lip as her eyes scanned the rest of the apartment. They lit up as she caught sight of the spool of ribbon on the coffee table, left over from making table decorations the night before.

She sank down on the couch and dug around in the craft box for a spool of blue ribbon, scissors, and pins. Within a few minutes she'd crafted an intricate ribbon corsage, and she displayed her efforts to Oliver. "Damn I'm good," she said proudly, and he laughed.

"Now who has an ego?" he teased.

She shrugged. "No false modesty here. If I'm at good at something, I'm not ashamed to say so." She held up the corsage in one hand, "New and blue," and her grandmother's cameo necklace in the other, "Old and borrowed. Who else could meet all four requirements in two items? If old and new could be combined, I'd have gotten it all in one."

Oliver chuckled at her confidence in herself. It was one of the many things he loved about her. "So are we almost ready to go?" he asked, checking his watch. "We need to be there in less than a half hour."

Felicity jumped up from the couch and flew into the bathroom. "Two minutes!" she called over her shoulder. True to her word, she came out of the bathroom two minutes later wearing a sleeveless, knee-length purple jersey wrap dress, with a sweetheart neckline and a side tie. It was simple and elegant and suited Felicity perfectly. She was wearing simple three-inch silver heels and she'd left her blonde hair down, the curls flowing riotously over her shoulders. He couldn't help being proud that he'd managed to end up with this beautiful woman in his life.

Nobody at Queen Consolidated had been surprised when he resumed his role as CEO with Felicity at his side. Many of the employees sent each other knowing glances, and several of the board members nodded approvingly. Oliver suspected that Felicity's presence in his life was instrumental in the board voting him back in as CEO. Either way, he knew he couldn't do any of it without her.

"Oliver? You in there?" She was looking at him quizzically and he glanced down at her, smiling in genuine happiness. He'd been doing it a lot more often the last few months, and it was all because of her.

"Just reminiscing," he said lightly, opening the door and leading her outside. He opened the passenger door for her and watched as she slid into the leather seat, the skirt to her dress inching up and exposing a long expanse of leg. His eyes gleamed and she caught it, one eyebrow raising.

"Down boy," she warned. "Today isn't about us."

No, it wasn't. It was a day for Diggle and Lyla. It was a day for them to finally become the family they'd tried so hard to be before. With any luck, this time it would work out for them.

As they drove to the courthouse, Oliver glanced over at Felicity. Her mouth was pulled down in a slight frown, and he touched her hand. "What's wrong?"

She sighed and looked up at him. "It's Roy. I know why he's not here, but I really wish he was. He's part of our family now, too, and he should be with us."

Oliver understood. Felicity had taken the younger boy under her wing and bonded with him over the last several months. When their newest lead on Thea had sprung up, Roy had leaped at the opportunity to go check it out in person. Felicity had taken it hard when he left, especially knowing that one of his primary reasons for getting away was because he would have too hard of a time at the wedding while Thea was still unaccounted for. So she'd packed a bag and some snacks, given him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, and sent him on his way with a stern reminder to call if he needed anything.

Felicity's somber mood lifted as they arrived at the courthouse, and her eyes brightened until they were back to their normal radiance. She beamed from ear to ear when she saw Digg and Lyla outside, and she expressed her impatience as Oliver tried to find a parking spot. He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement while she practically bounced in her seat. "I wouldn't have taken you for the type of woman who gets unreasonably excited at weddings," he teased, and she huffed.

"It's not 'weddings'," she corrected him crisply. "It's Digg and Lyla's wedding. That's it."

He managed to find a parking space and Felicity jumped from the car, tapping her foot impatiently while he exited at a more sedate pace. Once she was satisfied he was finally behind her, she made a beeline for Lyla. Felicity hugged the other woman as tightly as she could without squishing her eight-months-pregnant belly. "I can't believe you're getting married!" she squealed, and Lyla laughed.

"You realize this isn't our first time at this particular rodeo?" the other woman asked, her eyebrow raised and a bemused grin on her lips.

"Yes, but this time it's going to last forever," Felicity insisted, snapping open her handbag. "Here." She pulled out the cameo and fastened it around Lyla's neck, then pinned the corsage to her dress. "Old, borrowed, new, blue. I've got you covered."

Digg shook his head and laughed loudly before extending an arm to Felicity. She gave him a giant hug and he returned the favor. "We're so glad you could both be here with us today. We wouldn't have felt right doing this without our best friends."

Oliver slid an arm around Felicity's shoulders. "We wouldn't dream of letting you two do this without being here," he returned simply. "We're partners."

"The Three Musketeers," Felicity added, then shot an apologetic look at Lyla. "And d'Artagnan, obviously."

"Okay, now that the gang's all here, let's get this show on the road," Lyla said briskly. "I'm starving."

Two hours later the four of them were seated at Table Salt, enjoying a lavish meal at Oliver's expense. Lyla was making moaning noises as she dug into her prime rib; Digg had an affectionate smile on his face and his hand rested lightly on her leg.

"I still can't believe you two only wanted to go to the Justice of the Peace," Felicity said with a sniff, taking a small bite of her chicken Kiev (which she thought was most appropriate since this had all started back in Russia).

"This isn't anything new for us," Digg responded with a shrug. "The wedding wasn't important, just the marriage."

Oliver smiled. "Well I, for one, think it was perfect." He lifted his glass of wine, waiting for the others to follow suit. "To John and Lyla," he said quietly. "To our friends, our partners, may you always be as happy as you are today." It was a simple toast, but it suited them.

"Hear, hear!" Diggle said as they all touched glasses. Once everyone had taken a drink, he cast a sly eye at Oliver. "So, when am I going to be making that same speech to you two?"

Felicity choked on the bite of wild rice she'd just put in her mouth. She spluttered, grabbing for a glass of water and slugging it back when Oliver placed one in her hand. "No wedding!" she wheezed, her face red. "No marriage. Not now."

Oliver raised one eyebrow at her. "Should I be offended?" he asked dryly.

She shook her head. "No! I just meant we're not even close to being in that… that head space. No."

He covered her hand with his and turned back to Digg and Lyla. "What she's saying is, we're not there yet. But we will be."

Felicity gaped at him, and he smiled innocently before taking another drink of wine.

When dinner was over, the four exchanged hugs and Oliver and Felicity headed back home. "It was beautiful, even if it was kind of sterile," Felicity said, sniffing just a little.

Oliver pulled her into his lap and she cuddled against him, tucking her head under his chin. "You're such a romantic," he chuckled, stroking the silky strands of hair that curled down her back.

"Sometimes," she admitted. She pulled her head back and looked at him searchingly. "You weren't really offended tonight, were you? When I freaked out over the idea of us, y'know, getting _married_?"

"Of course not," he reassured her. "We haven't been together that long. I understand."

She eyed him. "You didn't seem shocked at the idea, or uncomfortable."

Oliver rubbed small circles on her lower back while he considered her statement. "I've had longer to think about the idea of a happily ever after," he said eventually. "You spent years telling yourself you and I were never going to happen. I spent years convincing myself that we shouldn't. The difference is, I could always see it, and it scared me because of how much I wanted it," he said honestly. "I knew I was the one holding us back, and I had convinced myself it was the right thing to do for your safety."

"Yeah, you _really_ need to stop doing my thinking and decision-making for me," she said dryly, and he smiled before kissing her forehead.

"I'm trying," he promised.

Felicity yawned and scooted off of his lap. "I know it's early, but I'm going to bed," she said tiredly. "It's been a really long day, after a really long week, and I'm going to take this opportunity to get caught up on some sleep." She looked down at him with a glint in her eye. "Although I could be talked into… other activities first, if you're interested."

Oliver's eyes darkened and he wasted no time in following her into their bedroom.

An hour and a half later, when Felicity was sleeping soundly on her side of the bed, the sheets pulled up to her waist and her hand tucked between the pillow and her cheek, Oliver swung his feet out of the bed. Reaching down, he pulled a small velvet box from the ledge under the dresser.

He flipped open the lid and admired the brilliance of the diamond, winking back at him in the moonlight. He stroked a thumb over the flawless surface, thinking of the way it would look on her hand and smiling to himself. He knew she wasn't ready and he was okay with that. He would wait for her until the end of time if that's how long it took. For the first time in his life, he knew he wasn't going anywhere.


End file.
